Pages

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Gluten Free Weekly Meal Plan: June 29-July 3, 2015

This week is my son's last week of kindergarten here in Paris! Summer is upon us and so is the heat. The temperatures are expected to hit 38C this week! Hopefully your summer is off to a great start too!

Here's our menu for the week:

Monday: Vegetable Stir Fry with Fried Tofu.
I dust firm tofu with either gluten free flour, corn starch or potato starch before frying in in some canola oil to give it the right texture. Then I add it to the vegetables once they're cooked. Serve with rice or rice noodles. I use a frozen stir fry mix to save time and effort.

Tuesday: Chicken Thighs in a Bag with Broccoli and Cauliflower
This is super easy. Purchase oven cooking bags, which are available at most large supermarkets. They should come with a twist tie for closing. For 6 chicken thighs with backs attached, I used about a quarter cup of a gluten free spice rub, and 5 tablespoons of water. Pour the rub and the chicken in the bag and mix to coat. Then add the water seal the bag. Massage it a bit to coat completely, then place in a roasting pan. Roast at 350F (180C) for about 50 minutes. Open the bag carefully and pour into serving dish when done. I steam some broccoli and cauliflower and serve with a cheese sauce or just with salt and pepper.

Wednesday: Pork Chops with Home Fries and Grated Carrot Salad
Simple mid-week meal. Grated carrot salads can be found in the supermarket, or you can just buy a bag of grated carrots and toss with your favourite gluten free salad dressing. I fry the pork chops in a frying pan and the home fries can either be cooked in the same pan, or baked in the oven for a lower fat version.

Thursday: Tabbouleh Salad with Rice Couscous and a Veggie Platter with Dips
I found rice couscous a few weeks ago and used it to make a tabbouleh salad. It's not the same as regular couscous, but it works pretty well. You could substitute quinoa as well. It's basically couscous, tomato, onion, parsley, and cucumber if you like. Toss in a lemon and olive oil dressing with salt and pepper. I serve with fresh chopped veggies and dips like hummus and tzatziki.

Friday: Gluten Free Meatball Sandwiches
Meatballs are easy to make. An egg and/or some torn gluten free white bread with a bunch of chopped parsley, then salt and pepper are all it takes. Traditionally we make them with a mix of pork and veal, but plain ground beef, turkey, or chicken are fine too. Fry them lightly to brown the outside, then drop them in the sauce to simmer.